L-Acoustics' KUDO Makes the Grade at Chicago State University

Chicago State University (CSU), located on the city's south side, recently hired local concert sound provider and systems integrator Sound of Authority to install an L-Acoustics KUDO loudspeaker system into its Emil and Patricia Jones Convocation Center, a 5,500-seat multipurpose arena that hosts CSU Cougars basketball games, concerts, conferences, and other events.

"Ernie Greene, [Sound Of Authority's president and CEO] has brought his own Kudo system into the arena for many different events over the past four years, so when the university decided to upgrade their concert sound system, they knew that Kudo was what they wanted," says Aaron Johnson, owner of Johnson AV Engineering, brought in by Sound Of Authority to manage the project. "CSU has always been happy with the sound quality and performance of Ernie's rig, and they knew the results they'd get with the system if they purchased their own, so there was never even a second loudspeaker choice considered."

CSU ultimately purchased a total of 16 Kudo enclosures, which can be flown as twin eight-element arrays from rigging points on either the north or east end of the arena depending on the production setup. Four SB28 subs were chosen to reinforce the low-end frequencies, with seven L-Acoustics LA8 amplified controllers selected to process and drive the mains and subs.

A sold-out, full-capacity concert in early November by Frankie Beverly, of Maze, CSU's first official opportunity to utilize the new system, which, according to Johnson, was deemed a complete success. "We had just wrapped up the install a few days before, so we were expecting to do a bit of tweaking during the show. But, honestly, we really didn't have to EQ much of anything at all. Kudo sounded great right from the start."